Cable-threading apparatus



W. J; BUELL CABLE THREADING APPARATUS Feb. 1', 1.927. 1,616,410

Filed lost. 11, 1926 5 sheets-sheet 1 CABLE THREADING APPARATUS Feb. 1,1927.

Filed 06+.. 11', 1926 5 sheets-sheet-2 Feb, 1, 1927. W, J. BUELL a vCABLE THREADING APPARATUS Filed oct. 11. 19.26 I s-sheet-sheet s I:elmeg/1101::

alto: nega` L 1,616,410 Feb. 1,1927. W. J. BUELL C ABLE THREADINGAPPARATUS Filed oc+,.11, 1926 S-,Shets-sheet 5 t Y' 311/0121110@ y 35under the vessel to Patented feb. 1, 1927. I

" UNITED-STATES' PATENT! 'o1-#Flea wrLLIAM J. BUELL,l or EconsE,MICHIGAN.

- CABLE-THREADING APPARATUS.

Application mea octaber 11, 1:52a. s rial Ne. 140,718.

' This -invention relates to a cable thread- I ing or placing apparatusadapted to beA u sed in the salvaging or recovering of vessels that mayhave beenl sunken; wreckage that may have been lost at sea, material orsaving, the device to place cables under or or material andpartieularlyfthose that may being deslgned lhave settled into sand, mudorother matter' l04 generally found on the bottom of' a river,

lake or sea.

.My invention aims to provide an appa-VA ratus that may b e manipulatedfrom pontoons, 4salva-ging vessels andthe like for v1li threading theends of hoisting cables under a vessel and connectingthe cables, sothatl suitable hoisting engines may be employed for raising andrecovering Athe vessel. The apparatusfmay be characterized in the 'fol-20 lowing particulars.

First, there are novel needle like members adapted vto be forced throughsubterranean matter, as sand or mud, and liuid under pressure is alsoutilized for preventing the needle like members from becoming cloggedwithV mud or other foreign matter vthat might interfere with theconnection of the cables. 1 Second, the apparatus includes a large tongor scissor-like framework that maybe manipulated by cables orflexiblemembers to place the framework about a vessel so that hoisting'cables carried by the framework will be brought together and connectedmined as the` apparatus 1s placed in posi-- ktion preparatory cables.The apparatus will be hereinafter specifi-I cally described and Athenclaimed, .and refto connecting' hoisting erence will now be had to the,drawings f -whereinyFigure 1l is an end, view of the apparatusH-{relative to a sunken vessel, showing the needle like membersapproaching ea ch other rein-; preparatory to connecting; cables carriedby said members;

cargoes and other to submerge 4.vessels be used in righting or ftheapparatus, and

' 1 The lower ends ofthe 'beis l Fig. 2' is a bottom plan of one oflthe' .needle members;

Fig. Sis a similar view of the other needle member l60 Fig. 4 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 1, showing I theneedle members in adjoining relation;Fig. is uan'edge'vicw of the frameworkof the apparatus; n Fig. 6`is alongitudinal sectional view of Gir adjoining needle members "showing thecou' pling ofcablesg`l r Fig. 7 is a bottom plan of the same;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the appa- 4 ratus in'- a'closedposition; '10 Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view ofa i cable socketmember and a portionl of a needle member; Fig. l0 isa longitudinalsectional view of a portion of another needle member show! ing. acablepin member;

Fig. 11 is a horizontal sectionalview taken 0n the line XIL-Xl; f Fig.9;. Fig. 12 is across sectional view taken bnthe` line XII-XII of Fig.9; 80 Fi 13 'is' a similar view taken on the line XII XIII of Fig. 10;Fig. 14 is 'an end view ofa portion of avessel showing coupled cablesunderthe vessel; 85 Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the apparatus as.it may appear in connection with" a sunken vessel; f Fig.- 16 isfavertical'sectional view4 of an observation station adapted-to formpartiff' Fig. 17- is 'a horizontal-sectional vi the same.

The'apparatus comprises a tong or like framework composed of channelYbers 1 and 2 which intersect or cr'oss eff other, and are pivotallyconnected-l getlierfi by a pivot pin 3.vv The 'upper end v2-the members1 and 2 are curved and 'e i'efafves wu f'n' ber provided with'an'chormgpins Igsl 5- and 6. no@ han The' pivot pir'r is providedfwithlafflf oshackle' 7 having Aan 'anchorin Il sheaves 9 and 10. V

firebird@ 2 los 14, which is shownV as anexample of vsubmerged materialthat may beg recovered 'after having been sunken and possibly .settledzin a sand or mud bottom 15.

In each lol the members 1 and 2, at the lower ends 'of the leg portions13 are ca ble -rollers- 16 and sheaves :17. Atthe upper jendsofthe legportions '13 are guide rollers' 18y anda number of other flexiblemembers are used in connection with the framework .for lmanipulatingthemembers 1 and somewhat similar to a pair of tongs.

' There are closing cables 19 trained under the shackle sheaves 9 andabout the sheaves and attached to the anchoring pin 8 of the By pullingon these cables 19 the -upper ends of the members 1 and 2may be done.

In addition to the cables19 and 20 there .are main hoisting cables orflexible members'- 21 which extend-downwardly at the outer Asides oftheleg portions 13 of the members land 2 and under the /rollers 14 with-theends of said main hoisting cables extending into the needle members 11and`12 and adapted to be cou led therein by a novel pin and vsocketcouplmg mechanism that will no w be described. l

In the outer end of the needle member 12 are brackets 22 slidablysupporting a socket member 23 having la plurality of spring pressed snap.fasteners or keepers 24, A

detachablehou'sing 25 is mounted on the socket member 23 to prevent mudor other foreignmatter frominterfering with the o eration or the socketmember and it is t 's housing that slidably supports the socket member23 relative to the brackets 22.

` .In the extreme outer end of the needle member isa conventional formof spring ac- 'tuated roller26 and attached thereto and normally 'woundon said roller is a cable or flexible member 27 attached to a flexiblemold guardar curtain 28 trained over a guide roller 29 and rovided with'a bell 30 to whichis connect acable 31. lThe cable 31 is trained under'a guideroller '32 at the lower end of the leg portion v13 `of the member2 and extends upwardly to'be 'manipulated, at n.1 piedetermined-time'either ffrom above the surface of the water Vor from anobservers'station forming part of the apparatus. The mud guard 28 formsa curtain at the outer end of the needle member 12 to prevent mud andother foreign material fromentering the end of the needle member andjust before the needle members 11 and 12- are brought intoY adjoiningrelation the mudv guardis shifted -out of the way.

The socketvmember 23 is adapted to he projected forwardly to a couplingposition by Aa fluid pressure actuated arm 33 supported by brackets 34in the needle member 12.

Fluid under pressure may be supplied to the cylinder`35 of the arm by aconduit 36 that extends' upwardly in the member 2 Vand upwardly alongthe shackle 7 and the closing cables 13 to the salvaging vessel 'whichmanipulates the apparatus relati\'e to the smile en vessel14. Along withthe conduit 36 are other conduits, 'one of, which is designated 37 andit extends to the outer end of the needle member 12 and has a branch 38communicating with' the socket member 23.

-Fluid under pressure from the conduit 37 is adapted to prevent mudandother foreign matter from entering the socket member 23.

and the needle4 member 12 and the escaping fluid is adapted-to pave orclear away in the sandor mud bottom 15 so that the needle members 11 and12 may beI opened or closed, particularly the former, and it is bynsing'-air, liquid or other motive fluid that the ma- 'nipulatlon of theneedle members is made easy in a-sandor mud bottom into which may settlethe vessel 14.

The socket member 23 is provided with a connecting member 39 for the end'of one of the hoisting cables 2 1, and the needle mem ber 12 isprovided with vessel engaging roller bearings 40 and a sounding deviceV41.

In the needle member 11 are brackets 42 slidably supportinoP a'pinmember 43 having a headed pin 44 ada ted to enter the socket member 23and be eld by the keepers o r fasteners 24. The pin member 43 is'adaptedto be shifted to a coupled position by an arm 45 similar to the arm 33of the needle member 12. The other main hoisting cable 21 is connectedto the 'pin member 43 and in the needle member ,11 isa :Hu/id dischargeconduit 4 6 .similar to' the conduit 37 and a sounding device 47 similarto the sounding 'device 41. The needle member 11 also has I I rollerbearings 48 adaptedito cooperate with the Aroller bearings 40 Vinengaging the hull of the vessel 14, as shown in Fig. 4. The

Sounding deviqs A41I and 47 are adapted 'to' the vessel A14 in advanceof 'engage the hull. the roller bearings 4( )'andv 4 8 and indicate to''an observer or 'operator of the apparatus that the needle members 1-1and 12 are ap-V proaching an active adjoining position 3m'- der thevessel. These sounding devicesare 'of a. conventional form used bydivers tn determine thenature of the materialcontact? mg wlthsaiddevices, and said devices form part of a telephone system havingleadingout. conductors 49 that may extend up along the members 1 and 2and the. shackle 7. In the-shackle may be a junction or outlet box .50and another sound device 51 may be supported by either of the' members 1or 2, ad-

jacent the shackle 17,'so that said devices maydetermine the location ofthe upper i portion of the vessel.

The outer end of the needle member 12 is somewhat contracted, as at 52so as to ent-er the outer end of the needle member 11, as

bestshown in Figs. 6 and 7 and to facilitate A such adjoining relationthe needle member v11 has guide arms 53.'

In the leg portions 1.3. of the members 1 and 2 are longitudinal guides54 for obi servation stations or elevators adapted to hold'oneonmoreworkman or observers, each station being in the form of a water proofenclosure suspended from a hoisting cable 56 iengaging one of the guiderollers 18 and extending upwardly above the surface of the water so thatthe observation station may be raised and lowered above t-he mud bottom15.` Each station has glass protected side openings 56, a searchlig'ht57 and suchother equipment that will permit of an observer directingworkers on the salvagingvessel .in

the manipulation ofthe apparatus relative to the vessel 14. y f

After the needle members 11 and 12 are closed and va. coupled relationestablished between tlie'socket member 23 and the pin Amember'43, theneedle members 11 and 12 are separated, the socketand pin memberssliding' off of the brackets 22/and 42. Vithdrawal of the needle members11 and 12 Y leaves the cables 21 connected beneath the vhull of thevessel 14, as shown in Fig. 14

and with slack of/the hoisting cables 21 the apparatus can be opened andremoved from about the vessel, sothat the hoisting cables 21 canbe'pulled toraise the vessel 14. In some instancesthe apparatus may bekept 'in proximity to the main hoisting cables 21 to .assist in guidinga piece of wreckage to the surface of the water, and after one set ofhoisting cables has been located Athe appa-- ratus may be used to placeother lhoisting cables whereby sunken lmatter may be safely recovered. 4l

It is thought that the operation and'utility of my apparatus' will beapparent'without Afurther description, and vwhile in the drawings thereis illustrateda preferred embodiment of my invention, `it is to beunderstood that the structural elementsare susceptible to suchvariations andimodification as fall within the scope of the appendedclaims.

WhatI claim is: i "y 1. A cable threadingy apparatus adapted to.

'- place the endsof hoisting 'cables under sub- 'merged matter andconnect the submerged cable'- ends to permit-of said hoisting cablesbeing used to raise the submerged matter, said apparatus comprising atong-like framework adapted to be opened and closed and place the cableends under the submerged matter, means to facilitate opening and closingsaidy framework, and cable coupling mea-ns carried by said framework.

2. A cable threading apparatus as called foi-in claim 1, wherein saidcable coupling means includes a socket member and a pin member to whichthe cable ends are attached.

3. A cable -threading apparatus as called for in claim 1, wherein saidcable coupling means includes interlocking members adapted to beprojected towards'each other, and means for projecting said members.

. 4. A cable threading apparatus'as called for in claim 1, wherein saidcable coupling4 means includes slidable socket and pin menibers, andrams adapted to slide said socket and pin members towards each other.

5. A cable threading apparatus as called. l

for in claim 1, and finid pressure means cariiedby said framework andadapted to fore-e foreign matter away from the lower end of saidframework. j I

8. A cable threading apparatus Aadapted to place the ends-of hoistingcables under sub merged matter a'nd connect' the submerged cable ends topermit of said hoisting cables being used to raise the submerged matter,said apparatus comprising pivotally connectcarried by the pivot of saidmembers and adapted for raising and lowering said members, opening andclosing cables'articulated with said members for opening and'closing ingcables arranged relative to said pivotally connected members to besubmerged therewith, and cable-coupling means carried 4by,

said pivotally connected members adapted to couple the submerged cableends.

9. A cable threading apparatus as called 'for in claim 8, and needlemembers carried bysaid pivotally connected membersV and in- .closingsaid cable coupling means.

10. A cable threading apparatus as called for in` claim 8, wherein saidcable coupling ed members of tong-like formation, a shackle said membersrelative'to each other, hoistj means includes pin and-'socket members towhich the cable ends are attached, said mem` bers being releasablerelative to said pivotally connected members whereby said `con nectedlcable ends may be left in engagement with the submerged 4matter aftersaid pivotally connected lmembers are' removed. 11. .A cable 4threadingapparatus adapted c,Y matter, sai V ly connected members, needle memberscar- .l5 hoisting Y lnected members may be removed.`

Y l2.` A cable threading a paratus as called for Ain claim I1, wherein te first mentioned to place the' endsof hoisting cables underv.submerged/ matter and connect the sub- -A merged cable ends to permitof said hoisting cables' bein used to raise the submerged apparatuscomprising. pivotal-V ried thereby and 4adapted to be moved to and fromeach other beneath submerged matter, means connected to said pivotallyconnected m 'members'for shifting said needle members, 'hoisting cablesarranged relative, to said v pivotally connected members, and .cablecouplin means carried by said needle meme bers'an adapted to'couple theends of said cables so that said pivotally conmeans includes opening andclosing cables 2c arranged on said pivotally connected members so thatsaid members may be opened and closed to shift saidneedle memberslv 13.Ay cable threading apparatus as called for in claimll, and fluidpressure means in .25' saidl needle members adaptedto force for'.

1 eign matter away from thecabl'e coupling means therein. J Y Y 14. Acablethreading apparatus as called for in claim 11, and Huid pressuremeans. :zn adapted to shift said cable cou ling means'l to releaseitrelative to said nee le members.4 15. A`cable .threadingapparatus ascalled 1a to place 'the ends of hoisting cables under submerged matterand connect .the submerged cable ends to permit of said hoisting matter,sai 45 means for said oisting cables, cable coupused. to raise thesubmerged Vapparatus including carrying lin means carried by saidcarrying means, and means adapted to.' releasel :said cable: couplingmeans relative to said carrying means so that said .carrying means maybe removed toleave the coupled'hoisting cables in engagement with thesubmerged matter.

'for in claim 17,wherein the last mentioned 18. A -cable threadingapparatus as called l means. is4 .fluid pressure'a'ctuated and sup-n iported from said carrying means. 19. -A cable threading apparatus for inclaim 17, wherein said cable coupling meansincludes automaticinterlocking members adapted to be brought into engagement with? eachother" by said carrying means.

for in claim 17, wherein said 'carrying means is in the form of aframework adapted to be a lowered over the submerged matter f to`embrace the matter and place said hoisting ca-v bles in position 'forraising the' submerged 'matten n .A A .3-

21`. A salvaging apparatus comprising tong-like pivotally adapted to beopened and closed and adapted to be lowered over submerged matter and 'yclosed to embrace the submergedmat-ter, x opening and closing cablescarried by said members and adaptedfor opening and clos- D bers.

22. A salvaging apparatus as called for in claim 21, and an observationstation carried by one of said members and-.adapted to be submergedtherewith.l Y

'as called connected' members ing said members, and'uid pressure meanssupported 4by said members and adapted toforce foreivn matter away fromsaid mem? f 20. A' cable'threading apparatus `as ycalled 23.|A'salvaging apparatus as called for' l in Iclaim 21, and sounding devicescarried by said members and adapted to indicate the position ofsaidv'members relative to submerged matter.

. In testimony whereof I affix my signature. I

WILLI/ni .'T. 'BUELL Vf

